ECUADOR: The Galápagos Islands off of Ecuador are known for their diverse range of wildlife, including Galápagos tortoises and iguanas. In class, our class joke was to say, “Ecua-DOOR”, and my stuffed animal Pato would pretend to look for the door that led to Ecuador.

Last year, to follow up with this silliness, kindergarteners cut out slits in a brightly colored sheet of paper to create a folding “door”, behind which was a picture of a huge Galápagos tortoise. Did you know that on average, these reptiles [chelonians] live more than 100 years? And no, Pato, it’s not Ecua-PUERTA!! (puerta means door in Spanish, for those of you who didn’t follow)

This year, students made miniature books with all types of tiny doors–as illustrated on THIS PAGE–as part of a strong effort to find the door to Ecuador. We have yet to find it, but Pato thinks we’re close.

Anyway, there are also sneezing iguanas that live in Ecuador… and actually sneeze! HERE is a hilarious video to put on loop. We blend cultures by using the Colombian practice of saying, “Salud, dinero, amor” (health, money, love) every time someone sneezes in class, and then listen to a classic song about “Las tres cosas” by Cristina y los Stop, link HERE. And why do they sneeze? Check out this ARTICLE’S explanation. Interesting! Last but not least, this page shows a Christmas iguana, but there are many other types of marine iguanas. Check out the “Godzilla” Iguana in the video below, eek!

LINKS: Middle of the World Monument Coloring Page, Middle of the World- Tricks, Galápagos Tortoise Coloring Sheet, Realistic Turtle Coloring Page, Printable Ecuador Maze, More Printable Mazes

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